Ice-cube tray



C. B. RHODES April 22, 1930.

ICE CUBE TRAY Filed June 15, 1928 f IO I2 vvu 'nfof,

Patented Apr. 22, 1930 PATENT OFFICE COOPER B. RHODES, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT F COLUMBIA IGE-CUBE TRAY Application filed .Tune 15,

My invention relates to ice cube trays of the type which are adapted to be placed'in the icemaking compartment of a mechanical or gas refrigerator.

The main object of the invention is to provide a tray so constructed that the ice cubes may be removed therefrom in a simple manner.

A further object is to provide a tray from which individual cubes may be removed without disturbing the remaining cubes in the tra Z still further object is to provide means whereby all of the cubes may be ejected, when desired, in a simplified manner.

As is Well known to users of this type of tray, it is necessary to dip the tray in warm water or to invert the tray and allow water to run over the tray. The tray is then usu ally dumped and the needed cubes (usually two or three) are used and the remainder left to lie in the sink. v.The tray is then refilled with water and replaced in the freezing compartment. It is evident that this entails a waste as well as an ineflicient use of the re frigerating mechanism.

By my improved device the dumping of the entire tray is not necessary. It may of course be necessary to warm the tray a slight amount in order to free the cubes but it is not'necessary to so warm the tray that the cubes will fall out due to their own weight. After but a slight warming, the cubes are ejected (individually if desired which is the usual requirement) by simply pressing the bottom portionof the tray beneath the desired cube. The empty portions are then refilled and the tray returned to the freezing chamber. It is thus obvious that a great saving in energy resmall number of cubes as compared to the large number in a full tray.

In the drawings:

. Figure;1 is a section on line ure 2.

Figure 2 is a tray (empty).

, Figure 3 is a modified form.

Figure 4 is a further modification.

1-1 of Figplan view of my improved sults by only having to freeze a relatively 1928. Serial No. 285,590.

- Figure 5 is a part section of a device for use with the trays of Figures 1 to 3.

Numeral 10 represents the tray or pan which is provided with grid 12 which may be integral with the tray as shown in Figure 5 5 or may be soldered, welded, or brazed to the tray as shown at 13.

The tray is provided with shield 14, if desired, and handle 161 The bottom of the tray is of thin flexible material, preferably metal, and is dished outward as at 20 to provide a resilient portion similar to the bottom of the conventional oil can. The grid has tapered side walls 22 so that the greatest cross section is at the top. By pressing the dished portion 20 it may be forced upward as shown by 24. In this manner ice cubes 26 are freed from the grid and tray and ejected therefrom so that they may be easily removed. Of course the dished portion is so fashioned that when pressure is removed it will return to the position shown at 20.

In Figure 3 I have shown individual cups 30 held in rim 32 and soldered at their edges as shown by 34. The cups are of thin flexible metal and have dished portion 20 as described above. s

In Figure & cups 30 are readily removable from a supporting rack 36 in the top of which holes 38 are provided to receive the cups. The cups are taken from the rack and the ice cubes removed as described above.

In Figure 5 I have shown a portion of a device for ejecting all the cubes at once. This consists of a plate 40 having guides 42 which center the tray. Knobs 44 are provided on the plate and correspond to dished portions 20 of the tray. By placing the tray on the plate and exerting a pressure, the knobs will cause all the portions to flex and will loosen all the cubes.

I am aware that many modifications ma. be made by one skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of my invention and accordingly I limit myself only to the extent of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A metallic ice cube tray having side walls and a bottom to form ice cubes, said bottom having a normally convex flexible portion adjacent the cube, which may be flexed so as to eject the cubes.

2. A metallic ice cube tray, 21- grid rigidly fastened to saidtray, and convex flexible portions on said tray Within the spaces formed by said grid, which may be flexed so as to eject the cubes.

3. The combination of claim 2 and means to flex said convex portions.

10 4. In combination with an ice cube tray having a flexible bottom, means to flex portions of said bottom directly beneath the cubes formed therein.

5. A device for aiding the removal of ice cubes from trays comprising a substantially flat surface and a series of knobs on said surface.

6. An ice cube tray comprising metallic side walls; a metallic rid. consisting of in- 90 tersecting members folfiividing said tray into cube portions. rigidly fastened to said side walls. said grid and said side Walls being of tapered construction so that the top of said cube portions are of greater area than the bottoms: a metallic bottom fastened to said grid and said side walls, said bottom having flexible, concave; snap-acting portions within the spaces formed by'said grid, said flexible portions being capable of being flexed :10 by hand in order to eject the ice cubes.

7. A metallic ice cube tray comprising side walls means for dividing said tray into cubeforming compartments having a larger top area than bottom area to permit easy remov- 35 al of the cubes; and a bottom fastened to said side walls and said dividing means, said bottom having flexible, concave, snap-acting portions within the spaces formed by said dividing means, said flexible portions being capa- 40 ble of being flexed by hand in order to eject the ice cubes.

8. An ice cube tray having rigid metallic side walls. a rigid metallic grid-member molccula-rly attached to said side walls. and

.5 a bottom for said tray fastened to said side walls and said grid-member, said bottom having flexible portions within the spaces formed by said grid-member. said flexible portions being capable of being flexed by hand in or- 51) dcr to eject the cubes from the tray.

COOPER B. RHODES. 

